Regal Movie Theater Charges $50 for Dune: Part Three Seats
Regal Movie Theater is charging $50 for opening-night seats for Dune: Part Three, a premium price that puts the chain squarely at the top end of current movie ticket pricing. The move lands before the film’s December 18 premiere, and it arrives as premium formats keep taking a larger share of ticket sales.
Greg Marcus on pricing pressure
Greg Marcus, the head of Marcus Theaters, said, "Give us enough films," and added, "If you're not going to let us earn a decent return, don't ask me to invest more or cut my prices." His view reflects the same pressure now visible in the premium-ticket market: theaters are asking audiences to pay more while the industry still operates below pre-pandemic attendance levels.
Premium formats such as IMAX and 4DX accounted for 17% of ticket sales in 2025, up from 13% in 2021. That is a real shift in where the money is coming from, especially when the average regular movie ticket price is $12.75 and premium seats can reach $30 in bigger cities.
AMC and the premium rush
AMC had 517 premium-format theaters at the end of 2025, up 30% since 2021, and it also adds a surcharge of up to $2 a ticket for popular films on opening weekends. Adam Aron said the chain now earns "more money per patron than we made prior to Covid," even as overall patronage at AMC remains down.
Some opening weekend screenings of Dune: Part Three in IMAX 70mm sold out within minutes, which shows how quickly premium inventory can disappear when a major release hits a format fans want. In 2025, 769.2 million movie tickets were sold in the U.S. and Canada, down from more than 1.2 billion in 2019, while spending on concessions and merchandise has risen 220% over the last 20 years.
What $50 signals
The $50 seat tells theater operators that the premium end of the business is no longer a side bet. For moviegoers, the practical move is simple: if opening-night access matters, buy early and expect the best seats and the most sought-after formats to move first, especially on large releases.
